Microsoft (MSFT.O) is collaborating with the French government to create a digital twin of Paris' iconic Notre-Dame Cathedral, the country's most visited landmark, the company's president Brad Smith announced on Monday.
The 862-year-old Gothic cathedral, which reopened in December following five years of restoration after a major fire in 2019, will now be digitally replicated to preserve its architectural details and offer an immersive virtual experience for remote visitors, Microsoft said.
Notre-Dame, immortalised in Victor Hugo’s 1831 novel The Hunchback of Notre-Dame, has become a symbol of French heritage, with its hunchbacked bell-ringer Quasimodo featured in films, musicals, and animated adaptations.
Microsoft previously partnered with French heritage digitalisation firm Iconem to create a digital version of St Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City. Reflecting on that experience, Smith told Reuters, “We learned that a digital twin helps with long-term maintenance by capturing a precise record of every centimetre of a structure.”
He added, “Creating a digital twin today will provide a priceless record that I believe will still be in use a century from now.”
Since 2019, Microsoft has undertaken similar digital preservation projects, including Ancient Olympia in Greece, Mont Saint-Michel in France, and commemorations of the 80th anniversary of the Allied landings in Normandy.
Authorities report that a plane crashed while attempting to land at Statesville Regional Airport in North Carolina on Thursday morning, igniting a sig...
The ongoing U.S. military actions against vessels in Latin American waters are raising alarm both regionally and internationally....
...
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has held a phone conversation with his Venezuelan counterpart Yvan Gil at the latter’s request....
A mass wedding brought together 203 grooms and 203 brides in the Zawayda area of the central Gaza Strip on 18 December. The ceremony was organised by ...
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has held a phone conversation with his Venezuelan counterpart Yvan Gil at the latter’s request.
Thousands of farmers have driven tractors into Brussels to protest a proposed trade agreement between the European Union and the South American bloc Mercosur.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi wrapped up visits to Belarus and Russia during which he held high-level talks on closer bilateral relations and major regional developments.
Brazil’s Senate has approved a bill that could sharply reduce the prison sentence of former president Jair Bolsonaro, a move that is expected to face strong opposition from President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and the Supreme Court.
The latest clashes between Thailand and Cambodia mark a dangerous escalation in one of Southeast Asia’s oldest and most sensitive disputes.
In the complex world of international diplomacy, the ongoing tensions between India and Pakistan have raised significant questions about the role of third-party mediation.
Citizens from an additional seven countries, including Syria, are being banned from travelling to the U.S. from the 1st of January next year. President Donald Trump made the annoucement on Tuesday (16 December) now has a total of 39 countries banned from entering the States.
Austria’s public broadcaster ORF, which is hosting the Eurovision Song Contest next year, has said it will not block Palestinian flags in the audience or suppress crowd reactions during Israel’s performance.
President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev is visiting the United Arab Emirates at the invitation of President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan on Wednesday, 17 December, as the two countries seek to further strengthen their partnership.
The Academy Awards, widely known as the Oscars, will shift from traditional television broadcasting to online streaming on YouTube starting in 2029, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced on Wednesday.
Authorities report that a plane crashed while attempting to land at Statesville Regional Airport in North Carolina on Thursday morning, igniting a significant fire.
The ongoing U.S. military actions against vessels in Latin American waters are raising alarm both regionally and internationally.
Afghanistan’s Ministry of Industry and Commerce said a set of Afghan–Kyrgyz meetings in Kabul on Wednesday ended with business agreements worth “more than USD 156 million” and new steps to formalise trade ties, including the opening of a Kyrgyzstan Trade House in the Afghan capital.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has held a phone conversation with his Venezuelan counterpart Yvan Gil at the latter’s request.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment